Many people report that the tampon becomes positive only when symptoms subside. The Federation of the Order of Doctors tries to clarify the reasons
The question is being asked by many during this new wave of Covid infections: why do I feel all the symptoms compatible with Covid but the negative tampon on me? In recent weeks, the idea has begun to circulate that tampons no longer work properly with the new variants in circulation, in particular with Omicron 5 which, according to the latest bulletin it represents 75.5% of infections in Italy. In particular, those who decide to repeat the tampon often report that the positivity comes only after the symptoms have subsided.
The time lag reported attracted the attention of the scientific community and the Doctor web column, but is it true? edited by the federation of the Order of doctors (Fnomceo) wanted to analyze the problem looking for an explanation. It is not easy to estimate how widespread the phenomenon is and which people are most at risk because less and less people are subjected to official tests.
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The behavior of our immune system
Difficult to even understand the cause. The most supported hypothesis is related to behavior of our immune system: Symptoms are thought to precede a positive test result because today the immune system is activated much faster against the virus. The appearance of the first symptoms would be the consequence of the activation of the immune system that fights the infection. At the beginning of the pandemic, in fact, the infections occurred between people who had never taken Sars-CoV-2 before and who were not vaccinated, and the virus could act undisturbed for several days before the infection was such as to be detected by the immune system. Today, however, with the majority of the population vaccinated or already exposed to the virus, the immune reaction is faster and can lead to cases in which you have symptoms but are not positive, because the viral load is still not sufficient compared to the sensitivity of the test. However, even people who encounter the virus for the first time have in some cases manifested the delay and positivity to the virus and this.
The dynamics of some variants
Another hypothesis concerns the different dynamics with which the most recent variants circulate in the organism. In fact, some studies have found, with the new variants, a less accumulation of viral particles in the cells of the nose, making false negatives more likely because not enough is collected during swab collection to test positive. Other studies have also found that Omicron can, in some people, be detected in the mouth or throat before it is in the nostrils. Furthermore, given the generic nature of the symptoms, it cannot be excluded that the manifestations are actually due to something else.
The execution of the tampon
A third possibility that the delay is a reflection of how the way the nasal swab is performed has changed over time. The greater use of do-it-yourself tampons, in fact, can affect the quality of the result: many people do not collect the biological material in the nose with particular care or in great depth, resulting in a higher frequency of false negatives.
Precautions even with negative tests
For now, there is no need to worry, but it can be useful to take some precautions. If you start having symptoms, assume you are contagious explain Yonatan Grad, who is studying SARS-CoV-2 at Harvard’s School of Public Health. People forget that as soon as one becomes symptomatic, one should behave differently. A negative test for symptoms should not be a pass to get out confirmation Emily Martin, a University of Michigan infectious disease epidemiologist. And this is true in the presence of all types of viruses, not just SARS-CoV-2.
July 16, 2022 (change July 16, 2022 | 14:34)
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